Automatic geaif binder



(ModeL) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

' T. M. RICE.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN BINDER.

Patented Nov. 21, 1882.

away. A? W W.

fnven/to 1 N FEIERS, PholoLlthngnpl'wl, Wuhington. u, c,

- 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

T. M. R102.

AUTOMATIC GRAIN BINDER.

(Model.)

No. 267,935. Patented Nov. 21, 1882 chine. Grain is delivered to the receptacle B another proper-sized bundle, when the detent UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE.

TALLMADGE M. RICE, on SPRINGFIE L1), OHIO, Assieuoa To WHITELEY,

FA SSLER & KELLY, OF SAME PLACE.

a AUTOMATIC GRAIN-BINDER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 267,935, dated November 21, 1882.

Application filed April 21, 1sso. (Modem To all whom it may concern;

Be it known-that I, TALLMADGE M. RICE, of Springfield, 0larke county, State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Automatic Grain-Binders; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and exact de-. scription of the same. i

My invention relates to a machine for automatically separatinga gavel from a flowing stream of grain, compressing and binding the same, and discharging the bound bundle-from the machine; and it consists in the peculiar gaveler or'separator, the tension and take-up devices, and a cord-depressor on the bindingarm, as hereinafter described, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

That others may fully understand my invention, I will now particularly describe it, having reference to the accompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a transverse vertical section of my machine. Fig. 2 is an enlarged elevation of the cord-tension device. Fig. 3 represents the discharger. Fig.4 is an enlarged elevation, showing the operation of the cord-carrier in placing the band upon the kuotter. Fig. 5 is an enlarged elevation, showing the cordguide and gate in position. Fig. 6 is an end and side elevation of the gate. Fig. 7 is a plan and longitudinal section of the end of the cordcarrier. Fig. 8 is an end elevation, showing the exterior gearing for operating the various parts. i

A is the supporting frame-work of the maby an endless apron or other suitabledevice. Motion is transmitted from the prime mover to the main binder-shaft G by a chain-belt or shaft with gearin gofan y approved kind. From the main shaft 0 motion is communicated to the several operative devices by suitable gearing in train, and at the completion of the binding of each bundle the motion of the machine is arrested and held at rest until the accumu lation of delivered grain is sufficient to form is automatically tripped and the binding machinery again set in motion.

a At the end of the shaft 0 there is a bevelpinion, D, whichmeshes with a similar bevelpinion, E, upon the shaft of which there is also a small spur-wheel, F. For convenience and compactness, the spur-wheel F is in the plane of the axis of the shaftC,and is mounted upon a stud, a, which is rigidly secured to a mounting-plate, 1), upon which also the shaft 0 are placed. The pinion F meshes with and drives the main wheel G, from which all the groups of operative devices take their motion. One revolution of the wheel Gcompletes the operation of separating, binding, and discharging one bundle.

The wheel G is provided with a peripheral flange on each side, which flanges are not continuous, and is armed also with projecting trips or cams, the uses of which wheel and appurtenances are to impart intermittent rotations tothe pinions in mesh with said wheel, as hereinafter-more particularly described.

The shaft 0 is provided with a clutch-sleeve, e, whereby it is coupled with the pinion E. (See Fig. 8.) A spring,f, tends to throw said clutch into engagement, and it is retracted and carried out ofengagement by a lever, g, which at each revolution of the main wheel G is caught by a stud, h, on said wheel and pulled down until the clutch is retracted and liberated. To render this catch effective and sure, the outer end of the lever g is provided with a trans verse orifice or socket, into which is fitted a bolt, 2', the end of which forms a cup, and this cup receives and holds the stud/t. When the lever g has been moved far enough to disenbearin gs of gage the clutche the wheelG and all the binding devices come to rest immediately. The

bolt i may be withdrawn from its engagementwith the stud h by a bell-crank lever, and the spring f immediately impels the clutch into engagement, and the binder is started again.

The clutch-withdrawing device is made in two parts capable of motion through different distances, so that the motion of the withdrawing-lever 9 may begreater than the motion of the clutch-sleeve without causing any disaster to the parts. These parts are, however, described and claimed in another specification filed, of even date herewith.

All of the gearing which actuates the several devices and groups of devices have their studs or bearings upon a single frame-plate,

H, (see Fig. 8,) which is bolted to the front side or end frame of the binder, and serves to hold the parts of said frame in place as well as to rigidly maintain in proper relative .position all of said bearings, and thereby keep in proper connection the several related and coacting parts. 7

Starting with the initial movement of the main wheel (kWh 611 the clutch 6 has gone into engagement the first pinion in mesh with said wheel'Gr which is moved thereby is the pinion J. This pinion is made long enough to spam the spur-teeth of the wheel G and also the teeth of the pinion K. This is necessary because a part of the teeth in range with G are cut away to form a segment and permit J to come to rest at each revolution, while with K,

which is driven by J, the mesh must be continuous. At its back the pinion J is provided with a crescent-plate, p,which at the proper time rests upon the flange on the back of wheel.

G and prevents the pinion J from revolving.

The pinion J is also provided with a double and long tooth, 0, which meshes with a corresponding recess in the pinion K. When in position of rest the pinions J and K are in mesh with the long tooth 0 in its recess. The plate 19 is on the flange, with its front horn just coming in contact with the trip or stop on the wheel G, whereby the pinion J is set in motion. The point or horn of the platep passes down through one of the intervals in the flange to permit said revolution. As the initial movement of the pinion J is given by the point or horn of the crescent, it is slower than is due to the motion of wheel G, and the long tooth o equalizes this by imparting to the pinion K a relatively more rapid motion, and it also serves as a guide in puttin g the gears together in the proper relation to each other. The pinion K is mounted on the end of a shaft, L, the inner or rear end of which is supported in a bearin g on the bridge-piece M, one end whereof is bolted to the inner cross-piece, N, of the binder-frame, and the other end is supported uponthe shaft(),the ends whereof are in boxes at the end frames of the machine.

The inner end of the shaft L bears a crank, q, whereby the separator P is actuated. Theseparator P is mounted upon the crank g at about the middle of its length. end is pointed and curved downward, so as to enter the stream of grain and pass through it easily. Its rear or'outer end is provided with a laterally-projecting stud at T, which slides in a long slot, s,in the bridge-piece M. The front end or point of said separator therefore travels in an elliptical path or circuit. Aslide traversing -a rod or any other approved form of guide may be substituted for the slot 8. The separator advances high above the stream of grain, dips through it, separates the gavel, and moves it outward, and while standing in position to cover the path of, the cord-arm the pinion J goes out of mesh with the wheel Gr, and the separator pauses until the bundle has been bound and discharged. This position of the separator is shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1. The separator, in combination with its act- Its front or inner uating mechanism, is described and claimed in another specification filed of even date here-- with. During the time when the separator is in action all the remainder of the apparatus is at rest; but when the separator has come to rest, then pinion Q goes into action. The point of this wheels crescent-plate u at that moment encounters the starter t on the wheel G,

and is directed inward through the interval in the flange 0, so that the pinion Q is permitted 7 to revolve. The pinion Q is provided with a radial arm, '0, and a stud, to, at the end of the same, and said stud rests in a curved slot, y, in an arm, R. The arm R is mounted on the shaft S, which also carries the cord carrier and compressor T. The bearings of shaft S are at opposite extremities of the frame A. However, it is only required that the shaft 0 shall extend entirely across the machine to avoid placing a box or hearing for it in a position where it would be exposed, and might also obstruct the movement of the bound bundle in being discharged.

The upper end orpoint of the cord-armT is provided with an anti-friction roller to prevent the cord from cutting the arm. There is also, further back, a slot through said arm, and within said slot a dog,l l,is pivoted. This dog has a projecting head, n WVhen the arm T comes up into position over the tyer and cutter the projecting lip or plate of the shield or cord-guides L strike under the tail of the dog and cause the head to protrude downward to strike and depress the cords between the neck of the cord-looping cylinder and the gripper and cutter E to-make more certain the proper seizure and severance of said cords.

The bindingcord may be taken from a spool like the spool I, or from balls in a box, as preferred. From the spool or receptacle the cord passes through the guide-eye on the under side of the spring tension-plate R, and between said tension and its stirrup s, so that it is subjected to the slight pressure of said spring. It then passesupward through an eye, 9 in the end of the tension-plate R, and thence through the eye of the spring take up P, which is secured to the under side of the hinding-table and acts in a downward direction, and thereby draws the cord over the end of the tension-plate, and insures a strong tension with a weak spring, because the strain upon the cord forces the tension-plate R down toward its stirrup, and correspondingly increases its pressure upon the cord therein. Thestrain upon the cord will be variable, and the tension will therefore be correspondingly variable. The cordrenders freely through the guide-eyes as soon as the take-up is drawn up to the tension-plate. The tension and take-up devices require no change of adjustment to compensate for any change in the size or quality of the cord. They also permit the passage of knots and bunches in the cord.

Ithashereinbefore been stated that the grain is delivered to the receptacle B by any proper mechanism for that purpose. Said grain will IIO enter through the orifice or openingm in the inner side of the binder, and will fall upon the floorof the receptacle behind the plates or aprons S, which are attached at their upper edges to the rock-shaft M, which turns in bearings attached to the cross-piece N of thebinderframe.

A short arm, T, is mounted loosely upon the end of the shaft n but its range of motion is limited by a head, 10*, which is rigidly fixed to the end of said shaft, and is provided with shoulders projecting over the arm T, so as to limit its movement. The range of movement of the arm T indicates the movement. of the apron S before tripping the binder-gearing. The relative positions of the lever T and the aprons S at the time of tripping may be regulated by adjustment of the headp which may be effected by means of a set-screw or other suitable device.

The arm U upon the shaft L assists the separator P in moving the separated bundle forward squarely to the binder and assistsinseparating the butts from the incoming grain.

Springs may be applied forward or back, as

cases may require, of the springs a, for the pur pose of preventing one end of the grain from moving too far as it comes into the bindingreceptacle, before it is bound.

On the inner side of the cord-guides L there is a swinging gate, M, which closes down upon the mouth of said cord-guides and aids in preventing the entrance of straw to the knotter. The cord-arm T pushes this gate upward as it passes over the tyer, and the cord is thereby confined in the grooved upper surface of the arm while in position above the tyer.

The gearing hereinbefore described for operating the various parts, together with the clutch and tripping mechanism, the same being represented in Fig. 8, also the compressing and discharging arm a V, also the knotpath of the cord-carrier, to hold the gavel separate from said stream, combined with an independent cord carrying and compressing arm moving upward from below the receptacle in the path guarded by said gaveler, for the purpose set forth.

2. The cord-arm T and take-up spring 1?, combined with the tension-plate R and friction-loop 8, whereby the cord is compressed between said loop and plate by the action of said plate, modified in one direction by the action of the cord-arm when the cord is being drawn out and at all other times in the opposite direction by the action of the take-up, as set forth.

3. The arm T, provided with the pivoted dog N, combined with the projecting lips of the shield L, whereby said dog is pushed forward to depress the cords between the knottcr and cutter, as set forth.

T. M. RICE.

In presence of- E. H. BARNES, A. N. SUMMERS. 

